Pubdate: Tue, 02 Jul 2013
Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Black Press
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/5n7vJzqp
Website: http://drugsense.org/url/zLXtMKI5
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361
Author: Neil Horner
Page: A3

LEGAL POT RAISES QUESTIONS

Directors with the Regional District of Nanaimo are aware that the
rules around legal marijuana grow operations have changed, but they're
still unclear on what that will mean for them - and they're looking
for answers.

The issue arose at the regular board meeting Tuesday when a Cedar
resident complained about the smell from a legal grow-op next door to
her home.

Kathryn Seymour said in her presentation that she lives in an area
where there are many such operations.

"The smell is very distinctive," she said. "I've had many people
comment on it as they drive through the area."

Her neighbour's legal operation, she said, is one of the sources of
the pungent odor. She said she requested the person living there to do
something about it, but all that happened was that she was assaulted
by a secondary odor used in an attempt to cover up the first.

"He's trying to mask it, but there's a constant and strong wind
blowing our way. When the smell is baad we have to close our windows.
We've had people complain of headaches from all-day exposure."

Seymour noted that recently-announced changes to the medical marijuana
legislation could improve the situation but stressed that the larger
operations could prove to be magnets for crime - something she wants
to avoid in her generally quiet neighbourhood.

To this end, she called on the RDN to set up zoning restrictions to
make sure that any new operations are sited in commercial or
industrial, rather than rural or residential areas.

Under the new regulations, production will no longer be allowed to be
done in homes and all municipal zoning laws will need to be respected.

In response to the delegation, deputy board chair Diane Brennan called
on district staff to prepare a report on the district's options for
controlling legal marijuana grow operations, as well as the issues
arising from changes to the legislation.
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MAP posted-by: Matt